Winter Park Mountain Lodge drug bust suspect arrested

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The second person that was being sought in connection with a summer drug bust at the Winter Park Mountain Lodge was arrested in Aurora and has been transported to Grand County to face criminal charges.

Nicholas Friskel, 22, was booked into the Grand County Jail on Oct. 31 on numerous criminal charges in relation to the Aug. 23 bust that turned up 174 grams of methamphetamine, 7 grams of cocaine, several tabs of LSD, and a small amount of MDMA, or ecstasy. Friskel was later released on $20,000 bond.

The first person who was arrested in connection with the bust was Austin Blair, 20, who was arrested on Aug. 26 and later released on $2,000 bond.

The majority of the items were packaged for sale, according to original statements made by police.

The bust was made after Officer Don Ransom of the department witnessed an individual exit a room while the officer was walking the hallways during a walk-through at the request of hotel management.

Ransom allegedly found a plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine where the individual had been standing, according to police.

Ransom, along with Officer Matt Murdoch and Detective Brett Schroetlin, initiated an investigation that resulted in a search warrant issued for the room where the individual was seen exiting.

Police will try to gather intelligence they can from the bust to attempt to make more arrests, however the investigation has been labeled “inactive,” according to Fraser Winter Park Police Chief Glen Trainor.